Welcome to Croft Reproduction
Croft Veterinary Practice offers a full specialised canine reproduction service. Our team of fully qualified veterinary surgeons with an interest in canine reproduction is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to meet all your dog breeding requirements.

Progesterone Lab Request Form Download the form complete it and send it with your payment to us at the address on the form. We promise to report the result on the day we receive the sample. It is not recommended to use conventional post unless delivery can be guaranteed next day.

Meet the Team Our Canine Reproduction Team is headed by Louise McLean, a veterinary surgeon with many years experience of small animal veterinary practice, and a particular interest in endocrinology and reproduction. Louise has studied canine reproduction in the United States and has now brought the very best of techniques back to the UK

Need to find us? Download a map with directions of where we are

Artificial Insenmination

The term artificial insemination is a generic term and covers a multitude of different methods and therefore likely outcomes. No matter what type of semen (fresh, chilled or frozen) or the method of artificial insemination that is used to deposit the semen, careful and skilful handling of the semen is essential. Furthermore, assessment of a sample of semen by a qualified and knowledgeable person prior to insemination also plays a critical role in the maximisation of pregnancy rates.

Transcervical – Fresh, Chilled, Frozen

AI with poorer quality fresh chilled or frozen semen

The freeze-thawing process significantly reduces the sperm’s lifespan in the bitches’ reproductive tract compared to fresh or fresh-chilled semen. Furthermore, usually lower numbers of sperm are available per mating, i.e. 100 million motile frozen-thawed sperm compared to 400-1000 million sperm in a natural mating. For these reasons placing the frozen- thawed semen directly into the uterus is recommended this maximizes the chances of pregnancy and increase the chances of a normal litter size. This technique was developed, in New Zealand, by Dr. Marion Wilson in the 1980s and involves placing a rigid scope, with a camera attached, into the vagina. A special catheter is then guided through the cervix and into the uterus which deposits the semen directly into the uterus. TCI achieves direct intrauterine insemination without surgery. It is straightforward and stress free in most bitches without sedation. A TCI when the chilled semen quality is marginal (40 to 50% motility) may make the difference between success and failure. A TCl when the chilled semen quality is very poor (<20%) may not make any difference at all, although it is difficult to declare semen as useless as some litters have been produced by TCI using semen which looked very poor quality indeed.

 

Artificial insemination and the Kennel Club
The kennel club will accept registration of puppies whelped from bitches
bred by artificial insemination provided that:
1. At the time of insemination the sire is not alive and resident in the UK
(except Irish Wolfhounds over 8.5 years old)
2. The sire must have previously produced a litter by natural mating
3. Litters produced by AI from female progeny of a bitch that has not
produced a litter by natural service will not be registered unless she has
previously produced a litter by natural service
4. Litters produced by surgical AI will only be registered in exceptional
circumstances

 

For further information refer to Kennel Club:
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/1206

 

For advice on using artificial insemination in your bitch or to make an
appointment, please contact us:

 

Croft Reproduction
Croft Vets
Northumberland Business Park West
Cramlington
Northumberland
NE23 7RH

Telephone: 0191 2503800
Email info(at)croft-reproduction.co.uk
www.croft-reproduction.co.uk